Stephane Dion is getting plenty of press because of his comedy stylings
Stephane Dion's razor wit has earned him a story on the wire services. And it makes me think about humour, and Stephane Dion's history with spontaneity.
The Canadian Press is moving this story over the wire (printed by the National Post, for example):
Tories miffed at Dion joke about Prime Minister Harper being overweight
(Harper-Fat-Joke)
By Alexander PanettaOTTAWA (CP) Stephen Harper's troops aren't laughing at an apparent fat joke directed at the prime minister by his chief rival Stephane Dion.
Liberal leader Dion made a reference to the prime ministerial paunch this week during a TV interview in which he suggested Harper might need some exercise.
Expressing outrage at the wisecrack, senior government officials distributed transcripts of the joke to reporters Wednesday and offered up spokespeople for official comment.
One Tory cabinet minister said the joke was unbecoming of a man who aspires to be prime minister.
"We're partisan on a regular basis. But as a fellow politician right now I'm really embarrassed,'' said Helena Guergis, junior minister for sports and foreign affairs.
"Essentially what he's done is called the prime minister fat.''
She said "real leaders . . . do not go around making fun of other people's weight.''
That dig at the Liberal leader echoes new TV ads in which the Tories question Dion's leadership qualifications.
It was a discussion about those ads that led to Dion's joke in a Global TV interview. He said that negative ads were not his style and that he wouldn't stoop as low as the Tories had.
The Global reporter then pointed out to viewers that Dion wasn't above taking personal shots of his own.
The Liberal leader joked that the exercise room at Stornaway -- the official residence of the leader of the Opposition -- had been refurbished.
And he said the new workout room would benefit his successor.
"Maybe Mr. Harper will have the opportunity to lose his (extra) weight now because we have this exercise room,'' Dion said.
Guergis said she learned about the joke when her mother called from Angus, Ont., and sent an email to say she'd seen the TV exchange and was appalled by it.
Personally, I'm not so upset about the content of the joke. Some people are very sensitive about their weight, and still others like to be sensitive on behalf of others. I'm neither. But the speed at which Stephane Dion could say he would stoop to personal attacks, and then launch into what certainly seemed like a very personal attack (though offered in jest) is what amazes me.
Telling jokes is hard. A lot harder than writing a novel, I think. You have to get a point across, in a clever way, with a minimum of words. That takes real mastery of the language in which the joke is going to be heard. To be brutally honest, Stephane Dion lacks the skills required to tell jokes in English (and perhaps the aptitude, too, but then, for all I know, he might be a really funny guy despite the evidence to the contrary). Certainly he can't be trusted to tell off the cuff jokes like the one he tried to tell about Stephen Harper's weight.
I'm sure he could deliver a joke written out for him, and only if he practised. A lot. But then so could a parrot.
The point is, Dion needs to play to his strengths. That does not include speaking extemporaneously, at least not in English. We've seen that before. The only time he can appear spontaneous in English is if he practises it very carefully with an interviewer who is working to the same script. And with the help of others who repeat the claim that the scripted event was spontaneous.
Which isn't spontaneous at all, of course.
A stupid little comment about exercising is flaring up in his face. It shouldn't. But Dion can't manage these sorts of fluid unscripted moments very well. He ought to avoid them.
Of course, that's hard to do if you're prime minister. Something to consider.
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Comments
Of course Stephane is just getting a little of his own medicine. For years every time an Alliance or Conservative member opened his/her (but mostly his) mouth in the House of Commons there was a chorus of "racist" being screeched from the Lib. side of the house.
None of these people are made of glass . . . they'll survive.
Posted by: Ben in Ontario at February 1, 2007 01:00 AM
What's the problem? Harper is a bit of a sow
Posted by: jim at February 1, 2007 01:48 AM
There's a slight difference between a jab and the type of personality assassination the spots aim at - but I agree it's not the type of thing you say right after claiming the high road.
What I don't understand is why y'all make a big fuss about it. Fact is Harper has a bit of a spare tire. So what do y'all do but call attention to that.
Story would have been forgot already but I wager most who pick up that wire are going to run a picture of Harper's waist with it ( the c'boy one would be classic ). Not exactly the thing you want floating about during an image war.
And I know the campaign isn't going as expected ( 'cause the ads are still running ) but why pick the environment ? Choosing a battle over something that's not your strong point is just whack.
C'mon y'all you're down by 18 on home field with less than 5 minutes in the first half - time to Peyton up and get the job done ! ( speaking of whack- did I mention y'all are running a political ad during the freak'n Super Bowl ? )
Posted by: Nbob at February 1, 2007 03:34 AM
And a lot of people don't know what the fuss is about those ads Nbob. Most of the content was composed by Liberals and it was mainly delivered by Liberals. And the fact is that Dion is a power-obsessed wishy-washy man with little leadership qualities.
But personality assassination? One first has to have personality in order for it to be assassinated.
Posted by: Surecure at February 1, 2007 06:43 AM
Dion's personal retorts are predictable, if your in a grade school playground, not too smart coming from someone hoping to lead the country.
And this guy has a PHD?
The Conservative ads are merely Liberal's giving their opinions on their own Party's and Dion's failings on the Environment file.
They are priceless, making clever use of the real actors and how they performed when they were in the seats of power.
Now they have to sell the idea they are just one united and happy Liberal family.
Posted by: Liz J at February 1, 2007 08:25 AM
The truth is that this week has shown Dion to be at a much lower level than Prime Ministerial.
"That's not fair! That's not fair!"
"Do you think it's easy to set priorities?"
And now he shows that he is down at the level of making comments about people's weight?
Sorry, but Dion is simply being shown for what Dion is. And Nbob:
"Choosing a battle over something that's not your strong point is just whack."
Dion is making the environment his battle. Perhaps he should be taking your advice considering the environmental track record of both himself and those he served with as a member of both Jean Chretien and Paul Martin's cabinet. But for some reason I doubt you'll ever put the same piece of advice to him.
Posted by: Surecure at February 1, 2007 08:59 AM
Bah... slow news day... this is such a non issue it defys logic that it got noticed at all
Posted by: Sierra at February 1, 2007 10:48 AM
This issue is similar to the quip about Mckay's reference to Belinda being a dog. Both received too much publicity. It was an attempt by Dion to be funny.It was a terrible misfire. Note to Libs...Dion is no Groucho.He is more like an Al Gore only with less personality!
If his dog is named Kyoto his cat must surely be named Babbling Twit.
Posted by: David at February 1, 2007 11:09 AM
I agree that this really is a non-story, but I certainly feel that PM Harper (I do love the sound of that) could take advantage of it in the same way that Belinda did. He could just make a response such as; "I have always had to deal with my weight and the comments it might bring both as a child and now as an adult. I like who I am and I'm not about to change that just because someone wants to use it for a quick laugh!" That would suitably disarm it, give it some more play time and show PM Harper (doesn't it sound good)to be an average person and maybe turn up the temperature on his personality (just a bit).
Posted by: DarrenL at February 1, 2007 11:35 AM
I agree that Dion has problems with humour, at least in English. A few months ago, before he became leader, he did an interview with Craig Oliver on Question Period. He tried to start it off with a joke, but it came across as awkward and flat and Oliver went on with the rest of the interview.
What they're trying to do with Dion is similar to what they've done with Harper, which is to try and show a side of him that people don't see. Yet doing it as a public official in front of a camera is a whole different ball game. It's easier said than done.
For now, I think Dion is getting away with it becuase he comes across as trying to be folksy. Yet you can only get away with being quaint for so long. Sooner or later, if Dion continues to have problems with the decisisions he makes in public, it will catch up to him. If the substance doesn't match the image, it'll show. Paul Martin knows this probably better than anyone else.
Posted by: Dennis (Second Thoughts) at February 1, 2007 11:36 AM
Even the G&M had an editorial yesterday stating that the new ads are not 'attack' ads. Tells you how obvious it is to most people.
Of course, the column quickly degenerated into a snipe at PMSH and the CPC, but that was entirely predictable. It was pretty gentle overall.
Dion should stop acting like a jilted prom queen and start acting like a person who has the best interests of the country at heart.
In other words, if he wants to succeed, he should be more like PMSH.
Posted by: Selma at February 1, 2007 12:52 PM
Well well in a mater of weeks after the coronation of the Librano's new clown prince we see the intellectual level of political debate plunge to ad hominem buffoonery.
Give French citizen "Borat" Dion a stuffed kermit ( it ain't easy being green) doll and his dog Kyoto gets a free deworming. 8-/
Posted by: WL Mackenzie Redux at February 1, 2007 04:07 PM
I thought that the Torys would be mad cause Dion suggested Harper would end up back at Stornaway instead of the jab at his fat. At least Stornaway now has an exercise room all ready for Harper. LOL
Posted by: hiti at February 2, 2007 12:27 AM
You think Dion's comments are out of line?
CHeck this out.
http://www.cjob.com/shows/adler.aspx?mc=63069
So is this the result of putting Bob Rae and Scott Brison in charge of creating the next liberal red book?
NEP II
Posted by: at February 2, 2007 07:36 AM
You think Dion's comments are out of line?
CHeck this out.
http://www.cjob.com/shows/adler.aspx?mc=63069
So is this the result of putting Bob Rae and Scott Brison in charge of creating the next liberal red book?
NEP II
Posted by: gimbol at February 2, 2007 07:36 AM
A pretty lame joke by Beaker, but not really worth the attention it seems to be getting. There are a lot more substantive criticisms we can make of Captain Kyoto and his nightmare team.
Posted by: felis corpulentis at February 2, 2007 02:01 PM
 
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